Chapter 22

Cocktails

Cocktails

Cocktails are pleasant way to meet people an get to know them

Companies often invite business associates and customers to cocktails to meet and

strengthen relationships

When attending a cocktail……walk in with your head held high and with enthusiasm

…you are going there to meet people, so the bar or the snack counter should not be the first stop

The purpose id not free food and drinks, it is to meet people and make connections

Make eye contact while having a discussion

Your conversation should be clean and without any sexual undertones

Keep away from controversial subjects like politics and religion and from gossip

Drink sparingly.

Never drink on an empty stomach. The risk of losing control or being indiscreet is too much

Do not stand and talk to at the bar or the food counter. Take what you want and move away

While eating or drinking, keep the right hand free as you need to use it often to shake hands

The food, drink and napkin should be in the left hand

Do not fill you plate to let it overflow

When the food is served on tooth picks or cocktail sticks, the problem is what to do with it. Do not put them back on the serving tray

Put them in the container provided for it or in an ashtray on a table nearby

If nothing is available, wrap it in a napkin and dispose it later

Guide lines for difficult foodOlives with pits are held in fingers and eaten in several bites. The pit is then disposed in the side of your plate, in an ashtray or into a napkin

When eating a shrimp with the tail still on, hold the shrimp by the tail and dip it into the sauce once. Eat it in one bite if not too large.

Crudités are dipped into accompanying sauce only once. Never dip it again after you have had a bite

Bite carefully into cherry tomatoes or puff pastry to avoid spraying yourself and everyone within arms length

Always exercise caution to avoid burning yourself when biting into hot d’oeuvres.

Test the temperature with the tip of your tongue as usually the temperature may be higher inside

When the d’oeuvres are unpleasant to taste, don’t spit it out. Turn your back to the others before transferring it from your mouth to the cocktail napkin. Find a waste paper basket and dispose it